Henry Howland Crapo

author

Henry Howland Crapo

1804–1869

A self-made businessman who rose from farm work and teaching to become Michigan’s 14th governor, he helped lead the state through the closing months of the Civil War and the early years of Reconstruction. His story also ties closely to the growth of Flint, where he built a major career in lumber and public service.

1 Audiobook

Address delivered by Hon. Henry H. Crapo, Governor of Michigan, before the Central Michigan Agricultural Society, at their Sheep-shearing Exhibition held at the Agricultural College Farm, on Thursday, May 24th, 1866

Address delivered by Hon. Henry H. Crapo, Governor of Michigan, before the Central Michigan Agricultural Society, at their Sheep-shearing Exhibition held at the Agricultural College Farm, on Thursday, May 24th, 1866

by Henry Howland Crapo

About the author

Born in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in 1804, he had limited formal schooling and spent his early years working on his father’s farm. He later taught school, worked as a surveyor and auctioneer, and in the 1830s moved west to Michigan, where he became deeply involved in farming, land development, and the lumber trade.

In Flint, he grew into one of the city’s leading businessmen and civic figures. He served as mayor of Flint, then in the Michigan Senate, before being elected governor in 1864. As governor, he served from 1865 to 1869, guiding Michigan at the end of the Civil War and during the opening phase of Reconstruction.

He died in 1869, not long after leaving office. Remembered as a practical, hardworking leader, he stands out as one of the figures who helped shape both early Flint and postwar Michigan.